Eugene Onegin (Cranko)

The celebrated narrative ballet was choreographed by John Cranko for the Stuttgart Ballet in 1965. Cranko adapted the story closely from Alexander Pushkin's classic 19th-century Russian novel.

Instead of writing entirely new music, the ballet utilizes an orchestral arrangement of pieces by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The score was specifically compiled and arranged by Kurt-Heinz Stolze, drawing heavily from Tchaikovsky's lesser-known piano works.

The story centers on the arrogant aristocrat Onegin, who cruelly rejects a love letter from the young, naive Tatyana. He later realizes his tragic mistake when he returns years later to find her married to a prince, sparking a desperate final confrontation.

John Cranko designed the ballet to rely heavily on dramatic gestures and psychological depth rather than standard classical pantomime. The choreography requires immense acting skills from the principal dancers to convey the heavy emotional burden of Pushkin's tragic characters.